Clasp.



N0. 836,838. PATENTBD NOV. 27, 1906. J. A. SHAY.

v GLASP. APPLICATION FILED DE). 11,1905.

witnesses Inventor JOSEPH A. SHAY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CLASP.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented Nov. 27, 1906.

Application filed December 11, 1905. Serial No. 291,184.

To all whom, it ntay concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. SHAY, a citizen of'the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to clasps, especially garment-clasps and the object there of is to produce a clasp which is of simple and attractive construction, which may be easily and positively operated, and wherein the fewest parts consistent with a satisfactory structure are employed.

In substance the invention embraces a pair of jaws between which an operating member is designed to reciprocate, and for a full and clear description of the invention reference is made to the following specification, in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of the clasp; Fig. 2, a top plan view thereof; Fig. 3, a side elevation showing the clasp closed; Fig. 4, a similar view showing the clasp opened.

In the drawings, 1 represents the base member, which is provided with a j aw portion 2, preferably faced with corrugated rubber. From the material of which the member 1 is formed ears 3 are struck up containing apertures 4, which serve as bearings for the upper jaw hereinafter described. To the rear of the ears 3 are flanges 5, having inturned portions 6 lying in a horizontal plane over the member 1.

The upper member comprises a shank 7, having at one end a preferably corrugated rubber-faced jaw 8 and at the opposite end an inturned portion 9, toothed on its under face 10. The upper jaw member is pivoted in the apertured ears 3 of the lower member 1. I

The operating member for the upper and lower jaws comprises a plate 1 1, having a loop 12 at one end thereof, the opposite end being upturned into a wedge 13, whose upper face 14 is toothed and adapted to engage the under face 10 of the portion 9 when the jaw members are closed. The plate 11 is adapted to slide lengthwise upon the lower member 1 and is prevented from lateral displacement thereon by the flanges 5.

The operation of the invention is very simple. Assuming the clasp to be closed, as shown in Fig. 1, and it is desired to open the jaws, the slide 11 is pushed forward, thereby causing the corrugated face 14, to disengage the portion 10 and the angular part 15 of the wedge 13 to strike the point 16 to the rear of the jaw 8, forcing the latter upward. Assuming the material to be interposed between the jaws 2 and 8, the slide 11 is drawn back, whereby the face 14 will glide upon the face 10, forcing the jaw 8 into intimate contact with the jaw 2-, thus firmly retaining the material in position. The surfaces 14 and 10 being toothed, the liability to slip and release the jaws is obviated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is

1. In a'device of the character described, a pair of jaws, one of which has a rubber-faced portion at one end, and a toothed portion at its other end, an operating member adapted to reciprocate between the jaws, said operating member being provided with a toothed Wedge part, designed to contact with the toothed portion upon the jaw.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a lower jaw member provided with horizontally-lying flanges, an operating member guided by said flanges, said operating member having a toothed wedgeshaped portion at one end thereof, and an upper jaw member pivoted to said lower jaw member, said upper jaw member having a rubber-faced portion at one end and a toothed portion at its other end, said wedge-shaped portion and toothed portion being designed to contact. I

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a lower jaw member having a rubber-faced portion at its forward end, and inturned, horizontal flanges at its rear end, a slidable operating member, provided with a toothed wedge-shaped portion, said operating member being guided by said flanges, and an upper jaw member pivoted to said lower jaw member, said upper jaw member having a rubber-faced portion at its forward end and a toothed portion at its rear end, said toothed portion being designed to contact with the wedge-shaped portion on the operating member and hold the jaws firmly locked. I

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a lower jaw member provided with inturned flanges at its rear porto slide upon said lower member and which is surface.

tion, an operating member which is adapted provided at its rear end with atoothed lower provided at its forward end with an angular, In testimony whereof I have afliXed my wedge-shaped, toothed part, and an upper l signature in presence of two witnesses.

jaw member pivoted to said lower member, JOSEPH A. SHAY. said upper member being downwardly and Witnesses:

forwardly'inolined from the point at which it H. M. 'KUEHNE,

is pivoted to the lower member, and being JOSEPH GEFFEN. 

